Vietnam, Cuba enhance defence partnership

Havana (VNA) - The ongoing visit to Cuba
by a high-level Vietnamese military delegation from June 1-7 is a chance for
the two countries to strengthen ties in various fields, including defence.

General Ngo Xuan Lich, Politburo member, Vice
Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence,
made the remark at a meeting with General Raul Castro, First Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, President of the Council of
State and President of the Council of Ministers, in Havana on July 6.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Party, State,
government, people and army, Lich thanked his Cuban counterparts for supporting
Vietnam in the cause of national liberation, reunification, building and
safeguarding.

Castro expressed his belief that the Vietnamese
military delegation’s visit will boost relations between the two countries’
Parties, States, peoples and armed forces.

Lich said his visit aims to enhance cooperation that
the two sides agreed to during the trip to Vietnam by Leopoldo Cintra Frias in
March 2017 to deepen bilateral defence ties.

The two ministers agreed to actively implement
cooperation agreements to reinforce friendship, mutual trust, and close-knit
ties between Vietnamese and Cuban people and armed forces.

They also exchanged measures to boost
collaboration in fields of their strength, especially training, medical
military, defence industry and logistics.

Both sides decided to promote high-level
delegation exchanges and share experience in building the army and cooperation
plan for 2017-2019 as a foundation to implement bilateral defence agreements.

After talks, the two ministers witnessed the
signing of a cooperation agreement between the Cuban department of
counter-intelligence under the MINFAR and the army security protection
department under the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence.-VNA